Shining Star
by MichelleTheVampGirl
Summary: Almost ironic isn't it? That the things that I consider my greatest accomplishments in my life, are also my biggest regrets. Flynn and Rapunzel struggle to realise just how much the other cares about them. Post movie. Angst and internal conflicts.
1. Chapter 1

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 1: Astronomy.

In my life, I've done some things that I am very proud of. The greatest moments have been when I stood up and did something for myself, sometimes they were crazy, sometimes just stupid, and then one time, it was the best thing I have ever done. When I walked out of the orphanage when I was still a kid, after finally realising that no one was ever going to adopt me, I felt strong, empowered, my own person. When I successfully managed to steal the lost Princess's crown right from underneath the royal guard's noses, I honestly believed I was the greatest lovable rogue ever to walk this earth. When I asked Rapunzel to marry me, that was when I finally realised that there was more to my life then thieving and running from authorities. I could start a life with the woman I loved, and that was my greatest achievement.

I've also done some things, that when I look back on them, I wish I had never done. Leaving the orphanage when I was still so young, now seems reckless. It's no wonder I fell into such a desolate line of work. I abandoned hope; I gave up searching for a family and embraced the solitude and friendless existence of "Flynn Rider". Stealing the lost Princess's crown, that almost got me killed, which is something I would very much like to avoid if possible. I don't really like the idea of swinging from a noose, so it's better to play it safe.

Almost ironic isn't it? That the things that I consider my greatest accomplishments in my life, are also my biggest regrets? I guess that's what happens when you live with two different alias's. Flynn Rider didn't care about consequences; he did whatever he could to further his own position, and did not spare a passing thought for anyone else and how he hurt them. Eugene Fitzherbert cared very much if he hurt someone. Especially if it was someone he loved.

And that's why my greatest achievement to date, is also my biggest regret.

I heard the screen door of the parlour open, and light footsteps on the stone padded their way gently towards me. I ignored her, mainly because I was so wrapped up in thought that I didn't have anything to say.

Looking out at the night sky, I counted the stars, or at least I tried to. There was far too many, each one so similar to those around it, a massive blur of shining lights. Just like the sky, my life was filled with so many people that sometimes their faces blurred together in my memory, and I couldn't remember a lot of their names. Some were just people I had passed on the street, while others were my dearest friends. The point is, I've known a lot of people. And out of all of the people I have met, Rapunzel shines the brightest. She lights up my night sky like a meteor, and no matter where I am, or what kind of state I'm in, she will always be there to guide me home.

I cast a glance at Rapunzel, resting her face in her hands as she too stared up into the sky. Gingerly, I took her hands and watched as her face lit up as she recognised my touch. Her pale jade eyes melted with such adoration, that it broke my heart to have to look away.

"Rapunzel..." I began unsteadily.

"Look at the sky."

Without saying a word, she turned back to the balcony and tipped her head back, her short brown hair barely brushing against her shoulders, the silky strands caressing her skin.

"Tell me what you see" I asked her gently, having to physically restrain myself from reaching for her, to run my fingers through her soft hair.

She deserved so much better than me.

"I see stars. Eugene, what is this about?"

She smiled nervously, and grabbed my hand. Feeling her warm fingers in mine made my stomach churn with self loathing. I promised her I would stop thieving. But I didn't. I hadn't just stolen the lost Princess's crown; I had stolen the lost Princess. Her love wasn't my right, and I certainly wasn't entitled to it.

Boys like Eugene Fitzherbert don't marry Princesses.

"Rapunzel, I want what's best for you..."

"And I want what's best for you too, Eugene." She spoke softly, earnestly, as though she had guessed my doubts before I had even spoken. She always knew exactly what I was thinking.

"I want you to be happy, and I want you to feel the happiness that I do right now. I want you to marry someone you truly love."

She folded her arms across her tiny chest and narrowed her eyes at him.

"That's why I'm marrying you. There's no one else."

"Exactly!" I launched myself forward at her, clasping her thin fingers in mine and stooping ever so slightly so I could look her directly in the eyes.

"There is no one else. You don't know anyone else! How can you honestly tell me you love me when you have nothing to compare me too? You're escaping the cage of your tower only to be trapped in a marriage to me that you might regret. I've regretting a lot of things, Rapunzel, stealing your life from you would be totally unforgivable."

She didn't speak, but I could feel the pain radiating off her skin. She pulled her hands from mine and took a few steps back towards the balcony door. She looked defiant and angry, but all I felt was defeated.

"I love you Eugene."

I smiled sadly at her.

"Why?"

"I just do."

I shook my head but didn't respond. I watched her give in to her emotions and bolt from the balcony, with one hand brushing the shining tears from her eyes.

Oh how I wish her words were enough.

I looked back up at the sky, thinking of Rapunzel, and how my actions are unfair to her. I couldn't live with myself if I tied her to my side and prevented her from living, just like Gothel had done. I was the first man she had ever met, that doesn't mean that she loves me. It means that she knows me.

It means her feelings for me were the pent up emotions of a socially depraved teenager.

However, I knew exactly how I felt.

She would always be my one and only shining star.

(A/N: Don't despair! I am writing more to this! Its going to be quite short, but I thought chapters would help transition it better. I don't know how long its going to be, anywhere from only one more chapter to a few, so I hope you enjoyed part one! Tormented Eugene makes me want to hug him! :( Please tell me what you think. Reviews are the best part of my day! Chow!

-MichelleTheVampGirl)


	2. Chapter 2

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 2: Tears.

When I closed the top of my bag, the skin around my eyes started to itch. I picked myself up off the floor and walked cautiously over to the mirror above the palace dresser. Leaning in, I gently touched my fingers to my eyelids, and pulled them back abruptly. Wet. Cold.

It was the first time I had cried since my orphanage days.

Shaking my head, I dragged the back of my hand across my eyelids roughly, hoping to hide all evidence before anyone had a chance to notice my tears.

It was such a _Eugene _thing to do, cry over leaving a girl. I shrugged on my blue vest, leaving the top clasp undone in the careless way I used to love so much. Sometimes, being Flynn Rider was the easiest person to be. Flynn didn't get emotional, Flynn didn't feel pain. Flynn could walk out of this castle and not look back.

I tossed my satchel over my shoulder and heaved on my boots. Taking one last glance around the palace room I had been staying in since bringing Rapunzel back to Carona, I tried to memorise all of the details so I wouldn't forget them, wherever I ended up. In the corner was the rocking chair Rapunzel would be sitting in when I woke up in the morning, waiting for me to awaken with that adorable smile on her face and glint in her eyes as she planned a whole new day. There, on the dresser was a pressed flower that I had saved from when her hair was braided by the three young girls on Rapunzel's 18th birthday. Slung over a table was my official uniform as a member of the palace guard.

I had lived a good live here. But these weren't my things, or at least, they shouldn't be. Saving Rapunzel from her tower was the best I could do for her, but for some reason I had managed to worm myself into her new life as a Princess, and that was overstepping my mark.

The Flynn inside of me rejoiced in the riches, and the nice things, but the Eugene I turned into somewhere along the line reminded me that this was not my place. I had rescued her so she could live her life, and I was going to let her do just that.

I closed the door behind me, and began walking through the castle, silently hoping that no one would catch me leaving. I wanted to just sneak out, to disappear, and let Flynn Rider fade into non existence. What I didn't count on was Rapunzel standing just outside my door, her thin arms crossed angrily, her glare pressing on me with all of her feelings of annoyance, and most strongly of all, betrayal.

I let out a short yelp, and jumped backwards, not expecting to find her here at all. Hastily I swiped at my eyelids again, hoping that she wouldn't notice anything was amiss. Rapunzel's gaze immediately went to the satchel at my side, her eyes widening with shock and leaping back up to my face.

"So it's true!" She accused me, her voice using the tones of a hurt small child.

"I knew something seemed seriously wrong with you tonight, but while I tried to ignore my instincts, telling myself, there was _no_ way that you would really leave me, you are aren't you? You're actually leaving!" Her ramblings carried her into the room where she used on hand to clutch her other elbow as she turned to face me, biting her lip to hold back whatever was really on her mind.

"At least tell me why"

I looked down the hallway, imagining myself leaving, I didn't want to have to go through the messy goodbyes that I knew from experience I was terrible at. Looking into Rapunzel's innocent face, I knew she wouldn't understand my reasons. She would beg and plead for me to stay, trying to assure me of her feelings. She would try and tell me that she loves me.

I needed to make her realise that she didn't.

Hating myself for what I was about to do, I ran my hand through my hair, and tried to channel Flynn Rider. I put on my arrogant smirk and watched as she took in my transformation with a gasp. I sauntered forward and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder, hating how she drew back from me, but knowing it was necessary.

"Well, Princess, this has been fun. But I feel I've overstayed my welcome, and to be quite honest, I don't belong in a castle. I need to be back out in the world seeing things. The politics of this relationship will never make it work. So it's time for me to say adieu, Have a nice life."

I removed my hand and stepped towards the door, sensing the rigidity of Rapunzels still form as she tried to absorb what I had just said.

"Eugene..."

She whispered after me, and I felt my chest constrict at her wounded tone.

"Please don't leave... I love you."

Her last statement was pleading, and also held a hint of insecurity. She bought into my act, and as much as it killed me I had to stick it through. With one hand on my hip, the other clutching my satchel strap, I faced her, still smiling in an apparently convincing way to cover my heart break.

"Tell me why you love me." I asked casually, though all of my being burned to hear her answer.

"I... I just do"

She was miserable, her head lowered. Her self-conscious answer truly pushed me over. I couldn't stay here when she was obviously so confused and deluded.

"Goodbye, Princess."

I shot here a flamboyant salute and headed for the door again.

"EUGENE!" She cried after me, tears streaming down her face.

Instead of comforting her like I so desperately wanted to, I kept my back to her. She couldn't see how much this pained me if I wanted her to move on.

"That's not my name, Princess. It's... Flynn Rider"

And I walked out of the castle without looking back. Thinking I could add another thing to my list of regrets and accomplishments. If this meant Rapunzel would have a better life, then I did the best thing I could in the circumstance. But forever, I will regret never getting to hold her again.

...

Rapunzel sat on the end of Eugene's, _Flynn's_, bed, trying to choke back the hysteria that lifted in her throat. In her hands she held a pressed flower that she found on his dressing table, amazed that he had kept it after all this time, and wounded that he did not take it with him. Tears flowed down her cheeks and into her open palm, landing on the flower while she sang,

"_Flower gleam and glow,_

_Let your power shine_

_Heal what has been lost,_

_Bring back what once was mine."_

As she wiped away her tears, she noticed that they failed to heal her broken heart.


	3. Chapter 3

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 3: New Dreams

Raising my head off of the thin pillow on the dusty cavern floor, I scanned my surroundings for any threats, clenching the knife in my hand that I'd begun sleeping with like I used to. That was how I defined my life now. Before Rapunzel, and with Rapunzel. Right now, I was trying to revert back into before Rapunzel times, but it was hard when the entire world seemed to have shifted around me.

Picking myself off the floor I dusted my vest, which was beginning to smell terrible. I had been wearing the same clothes for the past few weeks, and if I wanted to admit it to myself, I was far too scared to take them off. The familiar clothes were a symbol, a tie to Flynn Rider. Wearing these clothes meant that I _was_ Flynn. Without them, well, I would be naked. In both the literal and non-literal sense of the word.

It had been about a month since I had walked out of the castle, or at least I think it had been. Days were blurring together, on account of an inconsistent sleeping schedule, and also because everything seemed meaningless. I lived through each minute without truly caring what happened to me. There was nothing to look forward to so what did it even matter?

What scares me the most is that I can't tell myself what my new dream is.

I should say that it's for my own island and enormous piles of money, but that just doesn't appeal to me anymore. And thinking about Rapunzel hurts too much. So what was my dream? What did I _want_ out of my life?

My mind drew up another blank, so I exhaled loudly and exited the cave. Stretching out my shoulders and making sure that all my possessions were safely stowed in my satchel, I set off in no particular direction through the forest. I had been sleeping wherever and whenever I wanted, eating whatever I could find, and generally doing whatever I wanted to do. I had no boss, I had no line of work, I just, _existed._ And as far as I'm concerned, that's all I'm going to be doing until the day I die.

Existing.

Living out each day one at a time until just maybe, one day, I will return to the kingdom and see Rapunzel happily married to a more fitting suitor, and then I would know that all my suffering had been worth it.

So in a way, Rapunzel still was my dream. I just didn't include myself in it anymore.

After all, she really is all that's important anymore.

...

I woke up, and pulled myself out of the bed half-heartedly. Nothing felt right anymore ever since Eugene had walked into this castle with me, and Flynn had walked out alone. The palace felt empty, and while I had my parents and servants, and citizens who I adored, it just wasn't the same without the person next to me who never failed to make my heart skip a beat. Who could make me smile just by standing next to me, who could be my best friend, but yet I still ached for him in ways I had never fully understood until he was gone. My lips felt small and cold, abandoned and empty in Eugene's absence. My hands always felt out of balance without his strong grip keeping them steady. I felt empty inside. I _needed_ him.

And every day I pondered his question.

Why did I love him? Why _do_ I love him?

And yet I never could think of an answer, except, he made my life brighter. Without him next to me, everything felt grey and dull in comparison to how it had felt. When he was by my side, the world was wonderful, everything glowed and shined and seemed full of life. Now, the life has been drained away. And in my heart, I knew it was never going to come back.

I had tormented myself everyday day since his departure with questions I felt too scared to answer. What if I had told him that answer? Would he have stayed? Would he still be here with me? His hand in mine where it should be? His smile that I knew was only for me blessing his face? Would he still love me?

Of all the things in my old life, that was something I was always certain of. Eugene Fitzherbert loved me. He would have rather died then let me live a life with Gothel. So why did he leave me?

I hung my head in shame. There was only one explanation to his sudden departure.

I wasn't good enough for him.

Eugene was so worldly. His tales of the lands outside of the Kingdom never failed to astound me. Eugene was smart and clever, and could get any woman he wanted to love him.

I was a girl who grew up in a tower and knew nothing of anything outside of my stone prison. I still don't know a lot of things. What would a guy such as Eugene want with a girl like me? What would Flynn want with a girl like me?

He deserved better. So maybe this separation was for the best. He could find a girl that would make him happier than I ever could.

My dream of being with Eugene was over.

My new dream was that he would find exactly what he's searching for.

But I couldn't get over him. Not when I knew that he would always be my first and only love.

...

I stared up at the night sky, again thinking about stars and people. How is it that one life can so significantly change another? Rapunzel was the sole focus of my existence. As I pillaged villages, and then gave all of the treasures back on a change of heart, all of my thoughts were on her. What she was doing, where she was, if ever she thought of me, or if she had already moved on.

The thought of her with another man made my stomach knot and I had to stop myself from pulling out my hair in a fit of desperation.

"Oh Rapunzel... you have no idea how much I miss you" I whispered into the night, needing some way to express the emptiness inside of my chest.

...

"Oh Eugene... please come home." The hole in my heart widened.


	4. Chapter 4

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 4: Alice

I cast a quick glance at the weathered wooden sign as I walked into the small village. _Dartton_. I knew this place, I had been here before. Dartton was a rural town where everyone trusts everyone to the point of stupidity. It was a thief's dream come true... until you realised these people had nothing worth stealing. Reaching into my satchel, I pulled out an apple that I had plucked from a tree out in the forest. The tree technically didn't belong to anyone so technically I didn't consider it stealing. It was all in the technicalities.

I had made a promise to Rapunzel that I wouldn't steal anymore, and while I _technically_ considered myself to be Flynn Rider again, there was still the Eugene inside of me who refused to break a promise to Rapunzel. Since I was trying to do everything right by her, a promise sworn was a promise kept.

Food was scarce of course. Living was hard without any substantial income. But I did what I could to get by without breaking my promise, but without any trade skills, I couldn't get a job.

So, in every town I passed through, I sang.

Yes, busking isn't exactly glamorous, and it doesn't turn up a lot of money, but it was honest. And there were always people willing to lend a few coins to someone who looked as run down and malnourished as I did. I was homeless. I guess people saw me as a charity case.

However, Dartton was not the best place to be for busking. The people were kind enough, and would gladly help a fellow out, however, they could barely afford to feed themselves, let alone me. But yet, the next town was miles away, and since dusk was rapidly approaching, I would have to find a place to stay in Dartton. Providing I could find someone hospitable, I could eat the fruit in my satchel until I made it to Gatsburg, the capital city in Rieva Kingdom.

Gatsburg seemed like the place I had been subconsciously making my way to from the beginning. It was a large enough city that I wouldn't be noticed, far enough from Corona that I wouldn't be tempted to return, and with enough people that I could probably get by on busking alone until I died. A sad and lonely future ahead of me, I know, but what other option did I have.

I walked into Dartton, singing softly under my breath as I wandered aimlessly, searching for someone who would take me in. Another good thing about Dartton was that it was so isolated from both Rieva and Corona that no one would recognise me, or my criminal record.

"_All those days, chasing down a daydream_

_All those years, living in a blur"_

I kicked a stone in front of me, feeling wretched inside at how much those words that used to seem so romantic and true, now just seemed like a lie. I was back to living in a daydream, everything was blurry, to sing otherwise was false. But it was one of the only songs I knew, so I continued singing.

"_All that time, never truly seeing_

_Things, the way they were."_

I glanced up from the ground and saw a young girl sitting on a fence in front of me. Her off-white dress was stained with dirt and grime, the clothes falling off of her slender frame. Her hair was pinned up on her head in a mess of wild dark red curls, a pale blue ribbon tied around her scalp. I noticed quickly that the ribbon matched her eyes, which were watching me in astonishment. The girl had a small upturned nose and a round chin with full rosy cheeks. Her mouth set in an easy smile as she tucked a long strand of her curly crimson hair behind her ear. She blushed furiously when she noticed I was looking at her, and ducked her head abruptly. I felt a smile tug at my lips as I continued to watch the girl try and seem cool and unaffected by my presence.

"_Now she's here, shining in the starlight_

"_Now she's here, suddenly I know,"_

The girl giggled, holding a tiny hand over her mouth, her plump rose lips opening to expose small white teeth. I walked up to the girl on the fence, and dropped in a gallant bow, smiling up at her chivalrously.

"_If she's here, it's crystal clear_

_I'm where I'm meant to go"_

My thoughts went back to Rapunzel, and I glanced uneasily back in the direction of Corona. The song suddenly felt thick and heavy in my throat. I struggled to work around the meaning of those lines which seemed so contradictory to what I now believed in. The girl on the fence noticed my hesitation, and took it as a conclusion to my song. She jumped of the wooden fence and took a bold step forward. A strand of her hair fell out of its ponytail when her feet hit the ground and landed right in her face, she pushed it back while smiling pleasantly. When she was next to me, I noticed just how small the girl was. She only stood up to my chest, and looking down on her, I realised just how young she was. How inappropriate of me, singing to the girl. I mentally kicked myself, hoping she didn't get the wrong idea.

"You have a beautiful voice."

She spoke confidently, her own voice soft and breezy. The light, childlike tones were feminine and lilting. She met my gaze with her rosy lips pulled into a very earnest smile which I couldn't help but reciprocate, but I didn't reply.

"My name is Alice." She pulled at her skirts in a curtsy, ducking her head to the point that it was only at my waist.

"What's yours?" She straightened herself and waited expectantly for my reply, her little round face cocked to one side, her sky blue eyes twinkling in the fading light. I opened my mouth to answer, but stopped myself. What was I going to say? In all the time since leaving Rapunzel, no one had cared enough to ask that question, so I hadn't yet had to think of a reply. Who was I? The girl's eyebrows knitted together in frustration as she raised her fists to her chest, pointing dramatically at her own face.

"Me: Alice. You?" She then pointed at me with exaggeration. Each word was spoken slowly, deliberately, as though she was speaking to a toddler. I laughed because I assumed I had about ten years on this girl and her assumption that she was smarter than me was pretty funny.

"I... I'm Flynn. Flynn Rider" I winced as the familiar name fell off my tongue without me deciding on using it. Well, it was out there now. No pulling it back.

"Hello Flynn Rider" she giggled and pushed more of her crazy curls off of her face.

"Now that wasn't so hard was it?"

The girl began walking off down the street in a way that made it clear she thought I was following her. So I obliged. Having nowhere else to go, I figured I could see where this goes. I ran to catch up to her, seeing her smug face looking straight ahead as she kept walking, not even bothering to acknowledge me.

"So... you're... Alice?"

I asked lamely, not sure what else to say to the girl.

"Yep. That's me. Alice Pine. And you're Flynn Rider. And you are also _clearly_ homeless."

I drew back, mildly wounded at her assumption, albeit true, it still hurt to hear it out loud. She just laughed and turned to look at me with a smirk on her face as she raked over my appearance, making me feel mildly uncomfortable as her eyes lingered on the white shirt I was wearing that had long ago turned a colour that nowhere near reassembled white.

"I mean, you were singing a love song to a fifteen year old girl. That kinda reeks of desperation."

I hung my head in shame, feeling a weird mixture of embarrassment and optimism. Alice was the first person I had met since Rapunzel that actually made me smile. She reminded me of a girl I once knew at the orphanage called Sally, who was equally as blunt and cherry and confident. I always thought of Sally as a little sister.

"Sorry about that, I'm just... kind of..."

"Homeless. I noticed." She smiled again and reached out her tiny hand to mine.

"Not anymore. Mama and Papa always taught me to be nice to people, so you're coming to stay with us, that is, unless you have somewhere else to go?" She let out a giggle at the fact that she obviously knew I had nowhere else. Without waiting for my reply she dragged me down the street towards a small, run down cottage as the night slowly fell.

It wasn't the castle, and it wasn't Rapunzel's hand in mine, but maybe this was where I belonged. I didn't deserve palaces or crowns, and I definitely didn't deserve Rapunzel. But here, in a poverty stricken village, with a crazy little redhead that I could learn to call "sister", I could make a home for myself.

Looking back again in the direction of Corona, I hoped that Rapunzel was making some progress toward moving on, because after so long, I felt like maybe I finally had.

(A/N: Sorry about how nothing really happened in this chapter. I need to introduce two OC's into my story that will play supporting roles to both Eugene's and Rapunzel's stories of coming to terms with themselves and how they feel about each other. Alice and Eugene are NOT going to be a couple! She's going to just be there helping him realise sense, with her naive and childlike mind that can't comprehend his motives... eg "what did you leave her?... but why?... but why?... why?... why?... why?..." Next chapter will be about Rapunzel and how she is "Moving On". I'm looking forward to writing it, because, a: it has another OC, and b: I'm looking forward to the reactions Mason will receive :D Thank you everyone for the reviews! You guys are the reason I'm still writing this.. if no one reviewed, there would be no motivation now would there! So thanks again!)


	5. Chapter 5

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 5: The King and Queen of Rieva

"You can't be serious?" I was looking at my father with wide eyes, shaking my head trying to remove the idea that he had planted in it. He was looking down at me solemnly, his wise eyes downcast. I understood he was doing what was right for the Kingdom, but as a father, he didn't want to upset me.

With a desperate and pleading air, I turned to my mother, hoping that she would say something to get me out of this mess. She remained silent. She was smiling sadly at me while clinging to my father's arm. I shook my head vehemently. They couldn't do this to me!

"No!" I shouted at them. It was the first time I had ever raised my voice at my parents, and they seemed taken aback. I glared at them with spite, they had been absent my entire life, and now they thought they could tell me what to do? In that moment, I resented them. They were imposters as parents. Did they raise me? No. Did they watch me grow up? No. Did they look after me when I was sick or encourage my interests and teach me wrong from right? No, no, and no.

So why should they have the right to tell me when to move on?

"Eugene is coming back, you'll see, and I want to be here waiting for him when he returns! It would break his heart to see me with someone else!"

My mother clutched my hands, and tried to look earnestly into my eyes. I turned my face away from her.

"Rapunzel, darling, it's breaking our hearts to see you alone."

I pulled my hand away from hers, still furious at their betrayal. My father sighed dramatically and stood over me with authority. The man I called "Daddy" was gone, in his place stood the King of Corona, and I stared down at my feet in shame.

"Rapunzel, you are a Princess. Politics is a big part of your life now. You are of marrying age, and are also our only child. Now, call me progressive, but I do believe a Queen can rule alone in this Kingdom."

The word "alone" was like a slap to the face. I flinched back, my hand subconsciously reaching out for Eugene's to numb my doubts. I felt nothing but thin air. I let my hand drop heavily against my side. The misery in my chest threatened to overwhelm me. I was alone.

"However," My father continued, as though he missed my gesture, but I could see the grief that pained him, and knew how much he hated seeing me this way. My anger at him dissipated, and I vowed to be a dutiful daughter, no matter how much it hurt me.

"Our people demand a unified leadership. A woman alone does not comfort the people. The support of a husband at your arm goes a long way to display strength and family values. Both of which, are necessary to good leadership."

I stayed silent, watching the ground, hoping it would open up and swallow me down into a black abyss. It felt like my heart was already there.

"That's right, darling," My mother nodded, but didn't try to comfort me again. She was in Queen mode, and I was being lectured.

"Had Eugene not... had Eugene still been here..." she amended herself tactfully, her voice wavering as she saw my eyes tear up at the mention of my abandonment.

"I am sure he would have made a fine ruler. But now, there are other suitors dear, and the Prince from Rieva is particularly interested in your hand.'

I nodded sullenly, and turned to walk back to my room, preparing myself to spend another night curled up in a ball until I had cried myself to sleep.

"Rapunzel?" I heard my mother's soft voice call after me, her questioning tone giving me pause. I turned to face her and my father, and was surprised to see just how miserable they appeared. They didn't like giving me the royal superiority as much as I didn't like receiving it.

"We love you." She whispered pointedly, lowering her chin and staring at me, her wide green eyes burning with sincerity. I choked back a harsh laugh that rose in my throat and turned away from them, not before I caught a glimpse of their hurt expressions.

"Oh yeah? Tell me why?" I repeated Eugene's question and carried down the hallway before they had a chance to reply. Slamming my bedroom down behind me, I fell back into my bed with tears cascading down my cheeks. Reaching under my pillow, I pulled out a white shirt I had taken from Eugene's abandoned dresser. Pressing my face into the thick material to silence my sobs, I curled into a tight ball and inhaled the scent of him that still lingered on the fabric. Gradually, I fell into a shallow, uneasy sleep.

...

"Introducing, Princess Rapunzel of Corona!"

I heard my introduction, took a deep breath, and walked through the grand double doors into the Palaces throne room. That morning a maid had spent twice as long on my short hair then she usually did, bristling again about her desire to cut it. She told me the style was rough and the ends were damaged. I had replied curtly that that was what happened when it was cut with glass. The maid looked horrified and continued to pester me about styling it properly, but I adamantly refused. The hairstyle was a reminder of Eugene, and the sacrifice he made because he loved me. I never wanted to forget that.

So, grumbling as she did it, the maid tried her best to curl it into soft and wispy little curls that made me look terrible. I honestly did not care.

Today was the day I was going to meet my potential suitor, and It wasn't the sort of occasional I felt the need to look good for.

Standing in front of the throne were my parents, smiling uneasily as they stood, side by side, with another couple.

The woman was beautiful beyond comprehension. Her golden hair bound up in a tight array of curls. Her face was perfect, her dark eyelashes brushing her cheeks like the legs of an insect, her plump red lips poised in a demure smile. Next to her was a burly man with a trimmed black beard and long wavy dark hair streaked with silver. He had kind eyes and a sincere smile. They were the King and Queen of Rieva.

They eyed me speculatively, the woman even leaving her position to pace around me. After looking me over a few times, she returned to her husband, her ice blue eyes distant with thought. The King took a step forward and bowed graciously, taking my hand and kissing it gently. He stood up quickly and spread his arms wide in a bold gesture.

"Princess, you are even more gracious in person then I heard!"

He turned to my father, beaming.

"She will be a fine match for our son, and their marriage will let us step forward into a new era of prosperity between our Kingdoms!"

Everything the King of Rieva said was in a loud booming voice, his tones abrasive and to the point. His wife narrowed her eyes at me, taking in my appearance again with a practised eye.

"Her posture is disgusting, her face is chubby, and we simply _must_ do something about her hair."

She turned away from me with finality, and my parents stared at her in horror. All I did was slouch my shoulders even more, in the hopes that if she didn't like me, I could escape this marriage.

"Dearest..." The King of Rieva spoke to her in a tone that was both scolding and teasing.

"We've been over this, this marriage is perfect and the girl is stunning. Think of Rieva! Think of Mason! He deserves to marry a princess, yes?" The King turned back to me with an apologetic smile, he tugged on his beard and glanced over at my parents again to see how badly wounded their pride was at the insults to their daughter. Apparently, very much so.

I however, noticed that he spoke of the wedding in terms of politics and what was best for our people. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Mason, having grown up around this. Where was the importance of love? I wondered briefly if Mason was in love with someone else, and how a marriage to me would adversely affect him. His parents seemed to care little of what he wanted, just as mine didn't seem to listen to me. Maybe Mason and I would get along fine. We'd have something to talk about at least.

That was what I thought.

"Introducing, Prince Mason of Rieva"

One glance at Mason, and I knew that I was wrong.


	6. Chapter 6

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 6: Mason

Prince Mason stood with deliberate posture and exuded a frosty demeanour. His hair was the same golden blond as his mothers, the perfectly arranged curls sat around his face like a halo. His clear blue eyes were focused on me with such intense calculation that I flinched away from his gaze. His lips were curled in a frown that I assumed never left his face, his long, aristocratic features made him seem royally beautiful, but I did not find his high cheek bones and thin nose very attractive.

He walked forward, with each step making a deliberate, ominous thud on the ground. He stood at my elbow, his hands awkwardly at his sides, his body rigid and stiff. He peered down at me with curiosity, the frown on his lips deepened. He turned around to his mother, his voice indifferent.

"She is the girl you wanted me to see?"

His mother nodded quickly, and Mason turned back to me, a dramatic sigh leaving his lips. He raised an eyebrow as he glanced over me again with scrutiny. Then he abruptly leant down and kissed my cheek, his lips feeling too wet against my skin, which began to crawl at his touch. I closed my eyes and fought the urge to lean away.

"To break the tension."

Mason smiled at me, but it was more of a smirk. His eyes were still distant and bored.

"She will do. I will make her my wife."

I couldn't keep in the gasp that rose in my throat. It all seemed so simple to them, so meaningless. A marriage to him seemed to be the most trivial thing in the world, something they could manipulate for their own purposes. To me, a marriage should be a beautiful thing, something borne of love and mutual affection. A partner to share your fears with, to help you overcome them, a person you could rely on to be there for you through any circumstances that arose. A person that, no matter what happened to you, you could feel better knowing that they were there, and they made your world that little bit brighter.

Did no one in this room understand that?

Mason caught my eye, and let out another sigh of exasperation, as though I was nothing more to him then a pawn, and that he had expected my resistance, but wouldn't tolerate it. I took a step backwards, eyeing them all with horror. If my parents thought they could just auction me off, and sell my love to the highest bidder, they had another thing coming.

I ran out of the throne room, my mind whirring and plotting.

How do I escape this marriage?

...

The Pine family was more than hospitable. They took me in straight away, and by the second week I was already treated as one of the family. Alice's father would punch me playfully on the arm and take me out fishing, doting on me like the son he never had. Her mother's pride and exuberance was overwhelming as she would watch me eat her cooking, her chest swelling with joy when I commented on how good it was. Every night she would smother me in a hug that left me gasping for breath, while her father would smile and roll his eyes as though we already had inside jokes about his wife. Everything was pleasant. Alice was an only child, so I had to bunk in her room. I didn't mind, she was always so lively, that I didn't have time to reminisce about Rapunzel. It was nice to know I was never alone.

It was a comfortable existence, one that made me feel wanted and accepted. But I couldn't help but feel out of place again. I don't know why, but being in the small cottage with the Pine family made me feel both happy and sad, the emptiness inside my heart still unfilled.

Maybe it was because, yet again, I was pushing myself into someone else's life, without being truly privileged to it. I didn't want to say anything to Alice, but I was planning on leaving soon. Dartton was a good town, but it made me feel lonelier than ever.

The family was sitting down at the table for an early supper. It was getting into crop season and the farmer was going to be up early the next morning to plant the crops that would feed the family through the upcoming winter. It was expected that as a male of the family, I would also be helping. I wasn't going to mention that I was going to be awake even earlier.

It was a cowardly thing to do, but I figured I would leave them a letter. I would thank them for taking me in, but tell them the time had come for me to move on. I felt my stomach knot just thinking about it.

"So, did you hear the news, Gerald?" the farmer's wife spoke softly, spooning an extra large portion of her home made stew into my bowl. The farmer kissed her cheek and sat down at the table next to me, his eyes watching his wife with adoration. She giggled and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear nervously. After however many years of marriage, the couple was still clearly in love. It made my chest ache to watch, thinking that in a perfect world, Rapunzel and I would have met under different circumstances, and we could have had a life together like this. Small house, honest and simple jobs. A child.

"What's the news darling?"

The farmer's wife spread her hands wide on the table, leaning forward like a true gossip ready to share her knowledge.

"You know about the Princess of Corona right?" she whispered solemnly.

I froze. Lifting my head from the table, I glanced at the farmer's wife in shock. The only thought running through my head was of all the bad things that could have happened to Rapunzel in my absence. The girl was a magnet for danger.

If anything had happened to her, I never would forgive myself.

Because I had abandoned her.

It was like a slap to the face.

I had _abandoned _her.

"Oh, you didn't hear the story of young Rapunzel?" The farmer's wife asked me kindly. Unable to reply, I just stared at her, my entire body felt numb with regret.

"The sad thing is, the poor dear grew up alone in a tower, with a woman who kidnapped her at birth. She was rescued by a man called Eugene Fitzherbert."

Shuffling my feet under the table, I continued to listen half-heartedly, trying to hide my embarrassment and shame about what they were going to say about Eugene, _me_.

"I heard that Eugene was a Prince from a far off land" Alice piqued up, her childlike voice bright and cheery. I slumped further down in my chair, unable to handle the pressure of my false identity in this home. They knew nothing about my past. I wanted to keep it that way.

"The man wasn't a Prince, he was low-life scum." The farmer spoke abrasively. Alice looked down at her food, her smile gone, as she shifted her dinner around with her fork desolately. Scowling, the farmer turned to me with a sigh, and continued the story of Eugene Fitzherbert, much to my growing discomfort.

"This man, Eugene, saved Rapunzel from the tower and took her back to Corona. The lad asks for her hand in marriage, and everyone in the kingdom could attest to how in love the sweet young thing was with her saviour. Then, one night, Eugene just ups and disappears, leaving the girl heartbroken." The farmer spat out bitterly, his resentment at Eugene, at _me, _made me feel even more like an imposter. I didn't belong here. I didn't deserve their hospitality, what I did deserve was their spite.

"Yes, yes, Eugene was a horrible fellow." The farmer's wife stated mildly, impatient to deliever her news.

"You would never abandon a girl after you proposed, would you, Flynn?" She asked, smiling at me. Her eyes darted down at my untouched food, then back up to my face with concern. The entire Pine family was looking at me expectantly. Looking at each of their open faces, filled with good intentions, I cracked under the pressure.

"Excuse me, I'm not feeling so well."

I stood up quickly, and ran from the house, clutching my sides to keep myself from falling apart.

Alice followed me.

She caught up to me on the outskirts of town. I had fallen to the ground in shame, my face pressed in my hands, my back against a fence. I just wanted to sit there forever. I had disappointed Rapunzel, I had disappointed Alice, I had disappointed her parents. I had disappointed myself.

Even if I shouldn't_ be _with Rapunzel, I should have at least been there with her. I didn't need to leave. Not if I could have been a friend, protected her from whatever had happened, shown her ever day how much I cared about her.

Alice sat cross-legged next to me, her little face resting gently on my shoulder. She was perceptive, and didn't talk like I was afraid she would. We sat in comfortable silence as the sun began to set. Looking at her innocent face, I knew I had to get her home before her parents worried. They trusted her in my hands, and I swore not to disappoint them any further. Standing up, I pulled Alice to her feet. She smiled slightly at me out of the corner of her eye.

"I think it's sweet, how worked up you got over the Princess's honour."

She shoved me gently, her tiny hip failing to move me even the slightest. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts I didn't even notice.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, that was the news Mama wanted to tell us. The Princess just got engaged this afternoon."


	7. Chapter 7

(A/N: So today I bought lunch at a place in town that I had been warned about. I spent the rest of the day bedridden with a stomach that felt like it was exploding and a nauseous feeling like I was always on the verge of vomiting. I didn't actually think bad food could affect me so quickly and make me feel so awful... However, I just woke up and I had a dream about my fanfic which was really weird. Like literally, the dream was terrible. I dreamt about Rapunzel finding out she was pregnant with Flynn's child, but he's off being "noble" somewhere and she had to marry Mason to cover up her impurity from the kingdom... I feel like I lifted that plotline from somewhere but right now I just don't know where... Anyway, there is no way I am going to include that in my story because a: its tacky and cliché, b: it would make it too convenient for Eugene to return to her without really learning anything. But my dream made me think about my fanfic, which is why I'm writing another chapter now, despite wanting to go back to sleep or maybe even die. I feel like maybe I should sue that food joint... anyway, enough about me, on with the chapter!)

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 7: Opening Up.

"I knew it was too good to be true "

Alice stood at the open door, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. I glanced down at my packed bag and was hit with such a severe sense of déjà vu I had to sit down. I had planned on skipped out of the castle, and I got caught, I wanted to vanish from Dartton, and I was caught. How I earth I managed to be a thief for all the years was beyond me. Young girl's always seemed to catch me out.

I sighed and gestured for Alice to come sit beside me. She reluctantly came into the room we had shared together and sat down gingerly beside me, trying to smile but failing.

"I had sort of hoped you would stay here with us forever, Flynn. "

Resigning myself to the confrontation, I pushed back a strand of her wild red hair so I could see her eyes better. Never have I seen such hurt and betrayal, except for when I looked into Rapunzel's eyes for the last time. Gazing into Alice's wide blue eyes, I tried to imagine that they were green, and said the words I should have said all those weeks ago.

"I love you, but this is what's best."

Alice closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"Best for who? I've never known how it felt to have a brother, Flynn... please don't leave me."

"It's... best for... me." I stared off into space, my eyes not focusing on anything as my mind transported me back to this same situation but with a different girl. Who was it best for then? Best for Rapunzel? Or best for _me?_ Alice placed her face in her hands and I watched her body be overtaken by sobs. Hurrying to comfort her, trying to atone for what I didn't do for Rapunzel, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into my lap.

"Can I tell you a story?"

Her little face perked up and she rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"S...sure." She sniffed. She sounded so miserable. I couldn't help but think of Rapunzel. Did she look like this when I left? I will never know.

"Once upon a time... I met a girl."

Alice smiled shyly and nudged me in the ribs with her elbows.

"Was she beautiful?"

I looked out the window, a smile settling on my lips.

"She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my entire life. Probably the most beautiful girl I will ever see, ever." I looked down at Alice, to see her turn away from me, a frown spreading across her face. Her eyebrows knitted together, and I saw her bite her lip. It was such a common action, but one I had seen Rapunzel do a hundred times when she had something to say. So, waiting patiently, I gave Alice time to speak.

"How come you've never mentioned her before?" She asked me softly, her voice filled with confusion.

"Because... I... didn't deserve her. "

Alice sat up, anger crossing over her features. She balled her little hands into fists and glared at me with such ferocity I was scared she was going to take a swing at me. What I didn't expect was for her to be 'defending my honour'.

"Flynn, you are amazing, and kind, and..." She blushed wildly, her inexperience with boys leaving her tongue tied. I know she saw me as a brother, just like I saw her as a little sister, but she was still just a young girl and her adolescent tendencies made it impossible to say her next word with a straight face.

"Handsome." She giggled briefly, before looking at me seriously again.

"If this girl told you she was too good for you, don't listen to a word of it!"

I clamped my hand over her mouth before she could continue her tirade. It was almost funny how wrong she read the situation, _almost._

"She didn't tell me I wasn't good enough for her, I was able to work that out myself."

Alice placed a hand gently on my arm, her head cocked to the side as she took in my words, offering silent comfort and support. She reminded me so much of Rapunzel it hurt my chest.

"She was... important. Royalty no less. Whereas I'm... I'm a guy who wasn't even good enough for his own parents." My voice broke. I had never spoken of my orphanage days to any of the Pines before. Alice's shock reverberated through the empty room. It was so quiet you could hear the strained breathing, the muffled sobs, that I realised a little too late where coming from me. Alice leaned forward and touched a finger to my face, wiping away a tear I hadn't even noticed was there. Her face turned up to mine, and she flung her arms around my neck, gripping me tightly. I was surprised with the fierceness with which I gripped back.

My muffled tears grew into unrestrained sobs, the kind that made my entire body quake with emotion. Alice buried her face in the hollow of my neck, her warm body the greatest comfort I could receive under these circumstances. Her love for me almost made me feel whole. But of course, the tears continued to fall down my face.

Eventually, I pulled away from her, embarrassed by my display of weakness. Alice didn't appear offended, she took my hand in hers and gave it a long squeeze.

"You were adopted?" She asked quietly. Her voice seemed too loud. The words so ridiculous they made me want to laugh, but instead the tears stung in my eyes again.

"No..." My own voice sounded hoarse. I felt exhausted, worn down, but I had the urge to tell Alice everything. I hadn't opened up to anyone. Ever.

Not even Rapunzel.

"I was never adopted." Alice's hand in mine increased its pressure. Her slim fingers intertwined with mine was the closest I'd ever felt to true family love.

"I lived in the orphanage until I was 16. Then, I left. I had had enough of false hopes and promises about '_finding a family for everyone'_ and '_no child left behind'_. No one ever wanted me. I was never _good_ enough for any of the families who came looking for adoptive children. We would stand in a row and, one by one, I would watch all my friends taken away from me, to live lives with people who would love them and care for them..." Pulling my face from my hands, I looked at Alice expectantly, as though she could answer my questions.

"Why was I never good enough? Why did no one ever want me?" My voice was the voice of a young boy, a hurt and lonely child who never felt like he was worth anything. It was the voice of young Eugene Fitzherbert back at the orphanage. Alice didn't reply. I put my face back into my hands, my words muffled on their way out.

"No one would ever tell me what happened to my parents. All I know is that they abandoned me. They left me alone. And I can't help but think, I hope that they died. How horrible is that? Wishing my own parents are dead? But it's easier. It makes it easier to cope if I tell myself that they passed away and that's why I was put in the orphanage, instead of thinking that they just didn't want me."

Alice again, had no words of comfort. Nothing she could say could make me feel better anyway. But, having her there, made me feel as though, maybe, I could be wanted after all. There would be people who thought I was good enough. Was Rapunzel one of those people?

Not that it mattered anymore. I internally kicked myself.

Not now that she was marrying someone else.

It was what I wanted, so why was I so miserable about it?

"So that's why I left the girl I loved. Because poor orphan Eugene Fitzherbert didn't deserve her."

I felt Alice stiffen next to me. Her hand pulled itself from mine. Quick as a flash Alice was standing over me. I couldn't comprehend her movement, or the way she looked at me like everything she knew was shattered. It was then that I realised my mistake.

"What did you just say your name was?"

"Alice, I can explain!" I stood up next to her, both hands on her shoulders. She gasped as she took in my face as though seeing it for the first time. No doubt she was mentally matching it with the description of the 'low-life' scum her entire family resented. She gasped, her blue eyes shooting to my face, filled with betrayal and despair.

"It was you! You're the one who left Princess Rapunzel!"


	8. Chapter 8

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 8: Of politics and love.

I felt the bed slightly give way beside me. Glancing up out of my hands, I saw my mother's nervous smiling face next to me. She was wringing her hands in her lap as she thought over her words. Neither of us spoke. It was just as well, I wasn't ready to hear anything she had to say to me.

She was my mother, and he was my father, and yet they were hurting me. It was destroying something inside of me to look at Mason and know that he was my only future. The only option I had. And it was only because of my parents that the jewelled ring weighed down my finger like an iron ball, I knew that in any other circumstances, I would not be marrying him.

But I had my duties. I owed it to my people.

But surely there was a line! A line I could draw where I could say "this is enough!" Is it so wrong of me to want something for myself, to not do everything just because it was expected of me? Does that make me selfish? Not wanting to betray my absent heart?

My mother sighed, and placed a hand comfortingly on my leg. I shook it off, knowing I was being a horrible daughter, but still unable to prevent myself from lashing out at her. The ring on my finger felt like a timer about to explode, like it was ticking down to the end of my life. When the engagement ring came off, and the wedding ring replaced it, my life really would be over.

So I resented my parents for arranging the wedding.

I resented Mason for pushing the ring on me quickly and carelessly, ignoring my yelp of pain when he rammed it on too hard against my skin.

I resented the Kingdom citizens for only accepting me as a ruler if I had a husband.

I resented Eugene for walking out on me, and leaving me in this mess.

And I resented myself, for not having the courage to do anything about it.

My mother seemed to realise that her presence did nothing to comfort me from the caged feeling that grew stronger every day as the wedding drew closer. She got off the bed and went to leave. Regretting how frostily I had been treating her, I glanced up to see her looking back at me, he face mixed with remorse and misery.

"Mama...?" My voice felt small and timid. It was the first thing I had said to her in days, the relief that broke over her face was overwhelming. It made me want to hug her, to tell her I was sorry, to hear her tell me that everything was going to be ok. Instead, I stayed still, and we stayed silent. The atmosphere felt foreign. I realised that while she might be my mother, we didn't know much about each other.

"Do you love dad?"

She seemed taken aback by the question. After a long pause, she nodded slowly.

"Yes, I love your father very much."

"Did you always love him? Before you were married, did you love him then?" I watched as my mother's eyes glazed over. Her face grew distant, his hands were clenched tightly in her lap and I could see her struggling over what she thought she should tell me. Eventually, with resolve in her eyes, she turned back to me, and shook her head.

"No. When I married your father, we were strangers. The first time I saw him was when I walked down the aisle. I had to marry him because my family arranged it. The Kingdom needed a king. Oh, I remember how much I hated my mother..." She looked away, a pained expression crossing her face, her voice growing softer.

I felt uncomfortable in the air that seemed to smother me with its secrets. There were so many things I didn't know, so many things I would never know. A family built on love just seemed to be a front to hide the politics of every couple.

"But you love him now?"

She sighed and nodded.

"Yes darling, I love him. "

Cocking my head to one side, I asked the question that had been on my chest for a while now, even more anxious to hear her answer now that I knew more about how my parents functioned as a couple.

"Why do you love him?"

Silence.

My mother got up out of her chair and left.

...

Mason's arm around me didn't provide either support, or the feeling in my chest that I hadn't felt in a long time. His arm just felt like dead weight, like having a scarf on. Well, seeing as our relationship was all about appearances, comparing him to an accessory was more than fitting.

I looked at Mason, who was looking forward as he drawled on about something I had long since given up trying to listen to. He wouldn't even look at me when he talked to me.

"...so I told them that it was home and they had to leave... Rapunzel are you listening to me?"

He looked down at me, his blue eyes focusing on my face for what felt like the first time all afternoon. Returning his gaze, I nodded sheepishly, though completely unaware of what he was talking about at all. Mason pinched the bridge of his nose together and sighed loudly. After he had composed himself, he removed his arm from the small of my back and opened the door to the palace and ushered me inside.

Once behind the closed door, the pretence of our relationship was over, and he refused to acknowledge me. Our act was a display for the people of Corona, to assure them that their Princess was not unstable and heartbroken, that she had moved on and found them a new future King. Who would have thought that closed up in the castle, was the only place I could be myself. It was like Gothel's tower again, except this time, there would be no Eugene to rescue me.

Mason had vanished into the wing assigned to his family from Rieva, while I retreated to my room, seeking the solitude of my own mind. I would spend the rest of the day painting or something equally distracting to take my mind of the sham my life had become.

Entering my room, my mother was perched precariously on the end of my bed, the folds of her skirt arranged carefully around her. She looked up at my entrance and stood up quickly, crossing the room and pulling me into a hug. When she pulled away, I saw that her wide green eyes were puffy and red, the dried tears staining her delicate cheeks.

"I love your father, because he is my husband, and I have no one else. One day, you will love Mason too. "

She left, hurrying down the corridor to escape the curious eyes of the palace employee's, no doubt already gossiping and making up rumours about her state.

I fell back into my bed, and pulled Eugene's shirt out from under the pillow. Making a snap decision, I tossed the shirt into the fire.

I watched it burn, trying to analyse how I felt about the flames licking at the material of the one memento I had left of the first man I had ever met. I felt numb as the cotton burned away to nothing. A part of me felt like it had been released, all the hurt and anguish I had been holding onto freed from the physical restraint that tied them to me. Another part of me felt more alone then I ever had.

It was time for me to move on.

I would marry Mason, and one day I might love him.

After all, I had no one else.


	9. Chapter 9

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 9: Realisation

The air I dragged shakily into my lungs felt stale and bitter. Alice was pacing belligerently before me, her little hands balled into tights fists. Occasionally she would shake her head or sigh, but I had no idea what was going through her head. I had apologized repeatedly, but I wasn't too sure what I was apologizing for, really. I was apologizing for lying, pretending to be someone else. Mostly I was apologizing for leaving Rapunzel, but my regrets were a little too late. Now that she was getting married to another man.

At least I knew she was happy.

"You lied to us Flynn... _Eugene_. You lied to _me"_

Alice sounded hurt and betrayed. On top of everything that was weighing down on me, hurting a young girl made me feel like the epitome of evil. Her round blue eyes showed me her inner confliction. She was upset, and angry, and... Confused?

She let out a heavy sigh and sat down far away from me, as though I was contaminated. She wrapped her arms around her legs and drew them up to her chest. She was looking out the window, her rosy lips set in a frown.

"She was the one you were telling me about, the girl you loved? Its Rapunzel isn't it?"

Feeling my heart sink into my stomach, I groaned in pain. I immediately wanted to correct her use of tense, but there was no point. Whether or not I still loved Rapunzel, and I did still love her, was no longer relevant.

"Yes." It was simple reply, but all that needed to be said. Alice had a right to be mad at me for lying about who I was, but I had always been honest with her. Everything I did in this house was genuine and sincere. I merely acted under a different name. She _knew_ who I was, and hopefully she would know that I was telling the truth now.

"She's the girl you didn't feel worthy of." Alice stated bluntly, still refusing to look me in the eye. I could see her mind whirring as she tried to process the disturbing news that the man she had shared a room with, was actually the man who had been engaged to a princess and then left her. A man her entire family believed to be a despicable human being. At that moment I agreed with them.

"Yes."

I couldn't put everything I was feeling into words, none of it seemed to matter now that I had lost her. My insecurities, my situation with the Pines, my identity crisis, none of it mattered. Rapunzel was to marry, and in theory that was what I had hoped for, but now I knew it was actually happening, everything I believed in was falling apart at the seams.

"Who _are _you?" Alice turned quickly, staring at me with a fierceness that didn't look right on her young features, she sounded indignant and angry. Her question threw me. I honestly didn't know how to answer, because I just didn't know. Who was I? Was I Flynn Rider? Was I Eugene Fitzherbert? Who was either of those men really? Different sides of me? Different personas? I placed my head in my hands and gripped my temples, my fingernails digging into my skin and drawing blood. I paid no attention to the anguished cry that sprung to Alice's lips as she watched the blood trickle down my face. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and shook my head violently.

Nothing made sense.

Who was I?

How could I truly know what person I was when both of them just felt like acts? They were different masks I wore around different people. Rapunzel I felt comfortable with, and with Rapunzel I was both of them. I felt tormented by the ghost of a future I should have had. A life without confusion or regrets, with the woman I loved by my side telling me exactly who I was.

She saw _me._

She knew me better then I knew myself.

Again, I hated myself for leaving her, placing her in a position where she could fall in love with someone else and forget me. Did she ever think of me? And when she did was it with anger?

I opened my eyes slowly, and caught a glimpse of Alice's face. She looked horrified and scared, her eyes lingering on the trails of blood that marked my arms with thin lines like spider webs. I pulled my hands from my throbbing skull, feeling the pressure in my head lessen slightly, but not completely. I looked down at my fingers, trying to comprehend at what point I had lost sight of everything I believed in.

I used to believe in myself.

I believed the world was accepting and amazing.

I believed that I would be with Rapunzel forever.

Now, none of it was true, and I was left feeling broken. There were pieces of me missing, and the only thing holding me together was this moment, this moment with Alice where I had a chance to fix at least one thing I had done wrong.

"Alice, I am so, so sorry for lying to you."

My words sounded hollow, and devoid of any true emotion. I tried again.

"You have to know that everything I was, and everything I said, was real. You _have_ to know that."

There was a moment of silence, when all I heard was her soft breathing. She gently stood up, and walked cautiously over to me, she sat down beside me with much hesitation. Taking my hands, she ripped the sleeve off of her dress, and used it to wipe away the tracks of blood on my skin.

"I do know that. Just please, don't gouge holes in yourself again."

She smiled weakly at me, and gently pressed the material to the side of my head. I winced involuntarily. The cotton felt harsh on my raw and exposed skin, and as much as I wanted to lean away from it, I stayed still, grateful for Alice's acceptance.

"Thank you." I closed my eyes, and felt her wipe away more of the blood from my head. She worked in silence, dabbing at my wounds with all the tenderness and care expected of family. My chest swelled at the realisation that despite what I had done, Alice still cared about me. She still gave me her kindness.

"Are you going to go back?"

Her question was so unexpected. I thought about it, I had never intended to return to Corona. I never trusted myself to even entertain the thought, knowing it might be too tempting and I would abandon this venture to give Rapunzel the closure she deserved. But now that she had found it, what would the harm be in my return? I could try and mend our relationship to the point of friendship, and hope that Rapunzel's kind nature would give me the chance to redeem myself.

I needed her. Rapunzel was what made me whole. She was the only thing that could fill the void in my chest, and with her I was never confused about who I was. I was just a guy, a guy who loved a girl. Things might be different now, now that she was getting married. I told myself I didn't want to stop the wedding, that I was happy for her. I knew they were lies, but it helped me convince myself that going back would be easy. Things would be _easy_. A part of me knew that things would never be easy after how I left them.

"I don't know." I answered truthfully. Alice bit her lip and applied extra pressure to my head, causing me to gasp in pain.

"Sorry! Sorry!" she hastily apologized, her nimble fingers tearing the material away from my head, where she turned it over in her lap uneasily.

"I think you should go back." Alice whispered quietly, looking down at the torn sleeve of her dress. I realised then that she was as torn as I was. She didn't want me to leave, but she thought it was the best thing for me to do. This surprised me.

"Why?" I asked her lightly, pushing a strand of hair back that had fallen in her face. She locked gazes with me, her light blue eyes showing determination and a fierce belief in her words.

"Because you love her."

I dropped my hand and turned away from her as she pressed on, being callous with her words.

"Because she is marrying another man. How does that make you feel? Just think about it. Her lips pressed against someone else's. Her smiling at a man that is not you, a ring on her finger that he gave her. Think about a baby growing in her stomach that belongs to him..."

"STOP IT!" I shouted, standing up, my breath coming in uneven, raggedy gasps. I shut my eyes and could see everything Alice described. It made me feel sick, the images pressing on my thoughts of Rapunzel's immediate future. A future that didn't include me.

Alice was smiling at me in satisfaction. She stood up and clasped a hand on my shoulder.

"And that," she told me grandly, "Is why you need to go back. You can't let that happen, can you?"

"No." I gasped, feeling light headed.

"So go." Alice was smiling at me sincerely, her faith in me was overshadowed by the continuing images in my head of Rapunzel dressed in white for a wedding I might never see.

I had to stop it.

I laughed in a brief, slightly bitter way.

Flynn Rider was about to pull off his biggest heist ever.

He was going to steal a princess from the arms of her fiancé, and he was _never_ going to give her back.


	10. Chapter 10

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 10: Plotting and Goodbyes.

I felt the needle bite into my skin and let out a short, pained gasp. Opening my eyes, I saw the distraught look of my handmaid as she fussed over her slip-up. I kindly told her not to worry about it and closed my eyes again, trying to revert back to the daydream I was having about breaking free of this castle. It was no use. The pin in my skin was a sharp and obvious reminder of everything that was happening around me.

Looking in the mirror, I saw my short and ragged hair, still uncut under my vicious protests. However, my handmaid had once again attempted to style it to no effect. The thin brown wisps rejected the efforts to be tamed, and for that I was thankful. The dishevelled look appealed to me.

Next, my eyes were drawn to my face, sunken and sallow, the bags under my eyes reflected the sleepless nights I had endured. I refused to let myself think about _him_ during the day when I could help it, but at night time, when all my walls came down, it was all I could see when I closed my eyes. The memory of his face was etched into my mind, his smile and light brown eyes, the little goatee, the defined jaw line. I had told my mother his face was beginning to fade in my mind, but how could I ever forget the first male face I had ever seen? Especially when, to this day, it remained the most handsome.

Thinking about him was too painful, so I tried to shut him out of my mind and focus on the present. I let my fingertips trail over the white silk that skimmed luxuriously over my skin, the soft material was edged in gossamer lace trim detailing, tiny little pearls adorning the pale pink sash tied around my waist. The dress was beautiful, and it was being fitted exactly to my lithe form. It was the sort of dress that girls dream about one day wearing, but never in a situation like this.

My handmaid put in the last pin and stepped back to admire how it sat on me. She frowned uneasily.

"You have lost a lot of weight, miss."

Her voice was light and soft, I hadn't noticed until that moment that the girl, and she was just a girl, was around the same age as me. Her small plain face was shadowed with self consciousness, and she ducked her head at her boldness.

"Forgive me, miss. 'Tis not my place."

She stood with her head bowed, her hands clasped in front of her. She was the vision of perfect reservation, her subdued nature both fitting for her position but infuriating.

"What's your name?" I asked her gently, and watched her blush furiously, obviously uncomfortable by my direct address.

"Valarie, miss"

I smiled kindly, and watched her return it with a timid twitch of her lips.

"Valarie, go tell my parents the dress is ready for the rehearsal, and thank you."

Valarie curtsied and left with a polite 'yes, miss'. Looking in the mirror at the dress, I noticed just how thin I had gotten. Wearing the purple dress I had made on my return to Corona had covered up the sudden weight loss I had undergone, but here, in this fitted white silk gown that clung to my body, showed the boniness of my limbs, the concave slope to my stomach.

I was miserable, stressed, tired, and my body and health was suffering. Poking a finger to my rib I shuddered at the uneasy feeling in my stomach at being so close to touching a bone. My heart fluttered weakly as I noticed all sorts of new things I had missed in my reflection, my lips were cracked, my neck so thin and brittle. Most horribly of all was the hollow look in my eyes.

Stumbling backwards I fell into a chair, pulling Mason's engagement ring from my finger. How could I marry a man who made me feel so _miserable_? I tossed the ring across the room and watched it bounce away from me. Without the weight on my finger, I relaxed partially. Trying to clear my head, I decided I had two options.

One, marry Mason and be miserable and probably get sicker until it consumed me.

Or two, leave the castle and escape living a loveless life in a shell of who I used to be.

Option two seemed like the best choice. So, with my shaking fingers, I placed Mason's ring back on my finger, feeling much better knowing it was only a temporary guise, and began to plot my escape, knowing it had to wait until the perfect moment when everyone would be distracted.

Like, say, my wedding day.

...

Alice assured me she would tell her parents everything once I had left, but that didn't feel right to me. How could I leave, knowing they had taken me in, without offering any explanation? I guess I was also making up for never explaining to Rapunzel's parents why I had left Corona. Things had changed now, and the world seemed much clearer. My perception of people, and what was right and wrong, was more distinct and defined. And what would be wrong, would be staying with a family who had gladly taken me in, lying to them about who I was, and then skipping out without a single explanation. That wasn't the guy I wanted to be. Not anymore.

I walked into the dining room, where Gerald the farmer and his wife sat comfortably side by side, engaged in very normal and domestic evening activities. Mrs Pine was knitting a blanket out of crimson wool from their own sheep mixed with homemade dye. Her husband was reading a book on the history of the Rieva Kingdom. They both looked up at my approach, their eyes latching onto my satchel at my side.

"Oh Dear, I knew this day would come soon." Mrs Pine put aside her knitting and stood up, embracing me in a tight squeeze. The farmer looked at me over the top of his book, his face frowning slightly.

"You sure you want to do this son?" I coughed over the emotion that rose in my throat at the casual use of his endearing fatherly term. I nodded quickly, adjusting the satchel strap over my shoulder to give my hands something to do, besides fidget uncomfortably by my side. I felt the sweat that built up in my palms, and realised how scared I was of how they would react to my confession. I couldn't take it if they were disgusted, if they looked at me like I was some kind of monster.

"Well," Mrs Pine dusted her hands off on her apron, and started filling a basket with pieces of bread in such a motherly fashion. She turned to me with the basket and pressed it into my hands, along with a light kiss on my cheek.

"I hope you find what you're looking for, Eugene."

Her eyes twinkled mischievously, and I stepped back, almost dropping the basket.

"You... you know?" My barely literate response resulted in her merry feminine giggle as she ran her hands through my hair, trying to tame the stray waves.

"Of course I figured it out! I had heard what Eugene Fitzherbert looked like, and seeing your response to the news of young Rapunzel's upcoming nuptials, just confirmed it for me. I take it you're going to try and stop the wedding?"

I couldn't help the feeling of relief that blossomed in my chest and left my entire body feeling warm and content. Maybe it was a blessing I was never adopted at the orphanage, the Pines were everything I could have ever wanted in a family, and the love they showered me with was overwhelming in the best possible way. I nodded in response to Mrs Pine's question, and she smiled tenderly at me, her eyes sparkling with pride.

"Good, that Prince Mason is a prick."

I absorbed the information that I had received. Rapunzel was marrying a Prince. A man who Mrs Pine thought was a 'prick'. Now, she accepted _me_ into her home, and if she knew I was Eugene then she knew of my thieving past. So what did that have to say about Mason?

I felt rejuvenated with the fierceness of my determination. I refused to let Rapunzel marry someone worse than me, when I left her so she could do better. I would stop that wedding if it was the last thing I did.

Mr Pine sat up and clamped a hand on my shoulder.

"You love the girl?"

"I do."

"You ever guna leave her again?"

I shook my head vehemently

"Never."

The farmer nodded, beaming with approval and pulled me into a rough hug. Mrs Pine made a motherly noise that sounded like a mix of joy and also sadness, and pulled my from her husband's arms to place a kiss on my forehead. All of the affection was making me feel giddy.

"Be sure to come back to us at _any_ time."

I smiled like an idiot, trying to soak in every ounce of parental affection I could before I left. But I knew it wouldn't be forever, and that level of love and support immediately made me feel like a better man. The kind of man who maybe _did_ deserve to be with a Princess.

"I will"

Stepped across the room I pulled Alice into a fierce hug, and planted a soft kiss to the crown of her head.

"Thank you... for, everything."

Alice smirked up at me, and smoothed down her hair.

"Just get out of her, idiot, before it's too late!"

Laughing, I picked up my satchel, gave a final salute to the unexpected family I had become a part of, and dashed out the door, determined to run all the way back to Corona if I had to.

I had a royal wedding to crash.


	11. Chapter 11

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 11: Flight

The Kingdom was covered in flowers. When we used to talk about my wedding, my family believed that golden flowers should be used, to represent me, and my existence, and the joy and love they felt at my birth. However, Mason's mother believed that white roses were more traditional. And so, the pale and icily beautiful flowers were clustered all over the palace and in the streets to the point that it looked as though it had just snowed. It made me question, with the Queen of Rieva's cold and indifferent attitude towards me, who the focus of the wedding was really on. Me, or her.

I was in my room, trying to make sure I had everything I needed. I wished desperately I could say goodbye to my parents, but a single tip off and they might try to stop me. I had to pretend that everything was normal, and that I fully intended to get married that afternoon to Mason, the sullen Prince who didn't seem interested in me in the slightest.

I pulled out a small bag, knowing I would need to stow it somewhere to keep it safe until I could make my escape. Inside the bag was a sheet of purple material and some sewing pins, so that I could make my own dress instead of having to carry one. This way, it took up less room in the bag, and made it impossible for anyone to notice anything missing. I was at my last chance to escape, and I didn't want _anything _going wrong.

My mother may have learned to love my father, because both of them put themselves entirely into their marriage and against the odds, they suited each other. Their kindly natures complimented each other and it was only natural that affection would stem from it, considering it was what they both wanted. I would never want to be in love with Mason. Something about him repelled me, and I didn't feel a hint of chemistry when I was with him. It might be because of his complete and utter lack of interest in me, or the fact that he clearly did not want to share anything romantic with me, or that he only ever said a word to me if it was for the benefit of our public. It was also because, despite his absence, I was still in love with someone else.

The way my heart ached for him, and how I found myself trying to imagine what he would say or do if he was still here, just proved to myself that I hadn't moved on. I may have burned his shirt, my only remaining physical memento, but I still clung to my hair style because it reminded me of him. Subconsciously, I never wanted to forget him, and the love we had shared.

It showed me that love was possible in this world, true and in its purest form. I _had_ felt love.

And that was why I could not marry Mason, because that would signify my submission. I refused to accept a life without love, because love was magical, and love was what saved me from a miserable existence. Could it do it again?

I took the bag and tried to walk down the halls of the palace without drawing attention to myself. I walked with purpose, as though I had nothing to hide, while clinging the bag close to my chest as though through squeezing it tightly it would become invisible.

I made it through the palace and out the main entrance without encountering anyone though sheer good luck. My heart was beating heavily in my chest as I placed the bag inside a large stone chalice that was filled with dozens of perfect snowy white roses and decorated with white ribbons and little white ornaments. The decorative flare hid my bag completely, and I was thankful for the Queen of Rieva's incessant obsession with decorating.

I sat down on the stone steps trying to control my breathing before I became hysterical. This was it. I had found the home I never knew I had and I was leaving it deliberately.

"Do you might if I sit here?"

A soft voice came tentatively behind me, and I jumped in surprise, my eyes immediately darted to the stone chalice, making sure it was safe. Realising how guilty I must look, I forced my eyes to focus on the person who startled me, watching in confusion as Mason sat down next to me, his long legs folded up with his knees pressed to his chest.

"I didn't think it was customary for the groom to see the bride before the wedding." My voice came out a pitch too high, my voice breathless. I had to calm down and control myself, or else Mason might get suspicious. Sucking in a deep breath I smiled shyly at him and watched him return my smile sadly.

"Since you are not yet dressed for the occasion, I don't think it matters."

There was a moment of silence that felt more suffocating then words, to break the uncomfortable energy that surrounded this unexpected moment, I said that first thing that came into my head.

"So... we're getting married this afternoon."

He sighed loudly and touched a hand to my leg in a comforting gesture.

"Yes. And you don't want to marry me."

He focused his round blue eyes on my face for just a second, and then turned away before I could say something stupid and lie to him.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't want to marry you either."

He drew his knees closer to his chest and rested his face in them, his eyes pinched closed. I didn't know how to feel, relieved? Offended? Mason was making me feel nervous, and I was running out of time to be seen preparing for the wedding, so standing up, I cast a quick puzzled glance at Mason and ran from the steps without saying a word.

Behind me I could hear a muffled sob.

I raced back to my room so Valarie could help me get changed into my wedding dress. I pushed open the door and hurried to make it look as though I had never left. Sitting at the vanity table I ran a comb through my hair and waited. Merely minutes later, Valarie bustled into the room, my dress draped over her arms, her face blue from holding her breath. I wondered if she wasn't allowing herself to breathe because she was scared of contaminating the silk, which seemed ridiculous to me. But as a maid, touching the Princesses wedding gown must seem like a huge honour.

Trying to seem generally excited for my "big day", I beamed at her and stood up. She gently laid the dress on my bed, and keeping her eyes pinned to the dress, she fussed over the material and the lace detailing making sure it sat perfectly flat against the bed.

"Today's the big day miss, you must be awfully excited."

She sat me down and started playing with my hair. Mason's mother had ordered that something be done with it, it couldn't just be left down, and no one would argue with her on her scarily demanding tirade. She would be a mother in law from hell. Thankfully, I would never have to endure that.

Valarie began twisting locks of my hair up and pinning them back with more colourless roses, the pale white looking strangely contradictory in my dark brown hair. All of my hair was scooped back and pinned up with flowers, except for a few strands that framed my face. I had to admit, it looked nice.

Valarie helped me to get the dress on, and laced it at the back to the point that I could not breathe. The pink sash was tied so tightly, my waist seemed to vanish into nonexistence. Clutching my stomach I wheezed out the remaining air in my lungs which made the dress feel a little looser. Now all I had to do was not breath. Simple.

I slipped into a pair of white, flat-soled shoes. I had adamantly refused to wear heels, since even just normal shoes felt strange on my feet, heels would just be a nightmare.

"You look beautiful miss." Valarie gushed, and placed the finishing touch, a long white veil attached to a wreath of white roses, on the crown of my head. The veil billowed out behind me like a massive train that reminded me oddly of my old hair, though of course not nearly as long. The gossamer lace was nowhere near as heavy, or as comforting as my golden hair had been.

"Thank you."

I noted that this would be the last time I would ever see Valarie, and embraced the girl in an unexpected hug. She squealed and stood rigid in my arms, trying to maintain her expected composure.

"I'll go tell your father you are ready, and the ceremony can begin?" She squeaked timidly, her shy small features reminding me of a baby mouse. I nodded quickly, but caught her arm as she turned to leave.

"Tell my father I just went out for a walk to clear my head, and that I'll be back... soon."

My voice faltered, and I desperately hoped that Valarie didn't notice my hesitance to lie. Apparently, she overlooked it.

"Of course miss"

And she left the room. I waited half a minute to make sure she was really gone, and then I sprung to action. Opening the door, I peered out, turning both ways to make sure the coast was clear. Of course it was. Almost everyone in the kingdom would be at the church next to the palace to witness the royal wedding. I had nothing to worry about.

I flew through the halls, my dress rustling around my feet and my shoes padding softly on the ground, another reason I wanted flat shoes. The train billowed out behind me, and I giggled nervously as I realised what I must look like. A ghost. A ghost bride flying through the palace before it was too late.

Letting my imagination run wild, I rounded corners with far less caution then I needed in an escape plan.

And that's when I heard it, the breathless male voice saturated with relief that made me stop running, and turn around in fear.

"Rapunzel!"


	12. Chapter 12

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 12: The Wedding.

My feet hurt from running. I had charged through the forest as fast as I could, ignoring the trail and simply trusting that my instincts would lead me back to Rapunzel. I knew the general direction of Corona, so I headed that way, and was therefore relieved when I almost bypassed a familiar location. The Snugly Duckling had long since gone out of business, its windows were boarded and the sign hanging above its door had vanished. After the pug thugs had helped me to escape from the Castle prison they had become outlaws, well, even more so then they already were. That was, until Rapunzel had pleaded for them to be released from all their alleged crimes. Personally, I believed her naive nature shouldn't have held up in a legal setting, the man had _admitted_ in _song, _"violence wise my hands are not the cleanest." But of course, Rapunzel got them pardoned with her sheer belief in the good in everyone.

It was refreshing to think that she did not care at all about a person's past actions, and that redemption could be found if they so chose it. I hadn't chosen to move past my bad deeds, instead choosing to leave. Where was the redemption in that? Rapunzel's acceptance was all I needed, and I had pushed it aside like she couldn't change anything. The pub thugs were proof that she changed lives. They were pianists, happily married, florists, interior designers, and Vladimir had the largest collection of ceramic unicorns the Kingdom had ever seen. And they were able to accomplish all of these things because Rapunzel believed in them. Kind of like how she used to believe in me.

Ignoring the pains in my feet, I pushed on faster, silently wishing Maximus was with me, so that I could get to Corona faster. I had been running day and night for the past few days, driven by desperation to make it before it was too late. I don't think I had ever pushed myself so hard at anything I had ever done in my entire life. But some things were worth fighting for.

It was nearing dusk when I stopped to catch my breath. Underestimating how tired I was, I fell to my knees heavily. I just wanted to lie there, but I had not forgotten what had made me exert myself to my absolute limit. Thinking of Rapunzel and a wedding I had to stop, I tried to pull myself to my feet, but failed. My legs felt numb, like dead weight beneath me. Letting out a cry of frustration, I threw my head back with closed eyes.

Of all the times for my body to fail me, now was the most inconvenient. It was like the universe itself didn't want me to make it to the wedding. Opening my eyes, I had to blink in surprise. I was at the start of the bridge. The Kingdom of Corona was right in front of me, the Palace glinting up ahead in the setting sun.

"Thank you, universe."

Somehow in my surprise and shock, I managed to get on my feet without even noticing it. Looking down at my legs that felt tired and weak, but definitely stable, I took a step forward, then another, then broke into a run toward the castle. The furious beating of my heart in my chest seemed to thrum an ominous warning.

What would I do if I was too late?

...

"Father!" I blinked back tears as my father, the King of Corona walked towards me, his face beaming in a smile of relief, his arms opened wide at the sight of his only daughter in a wedding dress. I glanced to the side, I was right next to the main door, my freedom was just outside. But I hadn't made it.

My father embraced me in a hug that made it clear he didn't notice my attempted escape, and looked down at me with a face shining with pride.

"I hope your walk cleared your head of all your doubts. I was worried you'd miss your own wedding so I came looking for you, I hope you don't mind?" He looked so paternal, and as I often did around him, I could think of no words to say. He was my father, and he had loved me since birth, but he wasn't my _dad_. I only met him when I was eighteen, practically already an adult, and there was so much he didn't know about me. Like, how to tell when I was lying.

"I'm feeling great, dad. Thank you."

Inside my heart was plummeting to the bottom of my chest as my father shepherded me towards the church with one hand on the small of my back. My feet reluctantly carried me in the direction of a fate I never wanted. Each step drew me closer to Mason, and I felt it in each step that I took, I slowly gave up fighting and gave in to the inevitable.

I was about to be married.

Looking into my father's face, so overwhelmed with emotion on his daughter's wedding day, I couldn't bear to break his heart. I had opened my mouth to beg him to not make me go through with this, but he looked so _overjoyed._ I couldn't take this away from him, no matter how much I was terrified of what would happen when we entered that room.

We stopped outside the church doors, and my father released his hand from my back, turning to look at me with tears building in his eyes. He drew me in for a tight hug, his large hands clutching me with all the strength of a devoted father.

"My little girl, all grown!" He croaked into my neck, his warm tears feeling like a burden on my shoulder.

"You have become an astounding young women, and you didn't even need me there to help you"

I thought about all of my insecurities, wondering whether I would be a good Queen, trying to overcome a broken heart, and learning to deal with being a wife. I shook my head sadly.

"Every girl needs their dad."

He stiffened, and just held me closer.

"I am so... sorry, sorry I was never there for you growing up. Nothing will pull you from my side ever again. I will love you every day for the rest of your life, and I hope you know that Rapunzel, I hope you know that I love you."

I felt anger built up in my chest, I was so frustrated with people talking about love as though it was such a permanent thing. I knew from experience that it wasn't. Eugene didn't love me enough to stay with me, and he didn't think I loved him enough to want him to stay. Mason didn't love me at all and I didn't love him. My parents loved each other because they had to. I'd like to see how solid the bond of love truly is.

"If you love me, you won't make me do this. I don't want to get married today." I was surprised at how small my voice sounded, and before my eyes, my father changed.

He sighed in agony, pinching his nose. I could see the confliction and hurt in his eyes, he had always done everything for the best interest of his people, but he knew as much about being a father as I knew of being a mother.

"Daddy please... don't make me do this." My voice cracked and I could see my father visibly flinch away from me.

"I'm sorry Rapunzel." His voice was low and soft, he sounded genuinely sorry, but all I picked up on was his refusal to change his mind. He was adamant the wedding would take place.

"Prince Mason is waiting for you, so are the rest of your people."

He pushed open the door and I saw a crowd of people all turn to look at me with awe in their eyes. A hush settled over the room, and everyone was watching me with adoration, the lost princess returned, and getting married. I was sure I was simply a piece of gossip to them all, an empty title, a face without a personality. Did any of them care about me for who I was? If I wasn't the lost princess, would they even look twice?

I felt my father pushing me forward again, as we made the slow and deliberate walk down the aisle, the music disappearing as everything seemed to slow down. I caught glimpse of my mother's smiling tear streaked face as she blew her nose delicately and shot me a look that seemed to tell me to be strong. Mason's mother was smiling smugly, her ice blue eyes locked on me as I walked, as though I was a prize that she was collecting. Lastly, I glimpsed at Mason, the only other person in this room who looked as miserable as I felt. I remembered his words,

"_If it makes you feel any better, I don't want to marry you either."_

Was that really just a few hours ago? Mason and I had a moment. I had heard something in his voice then that made me question everything I knew about him. I was seeing it again in his face now.

This wedding was a sham. We were lying to everyone when we were both so unhappy about it. Our Kingdoms may be in need of harmony, but this marriage was more likely to promote discord then unity.

I caught Mason's eye and smiled shyly, a smile he returned with reluctance. His eyes skimmed over my white dress with the ridiculous veil train, to the bouquet in my hands, his eyes resting on the ring on my finger. Biting his lip he forced his eyes to look out at the crowd, his posture noticeably more rigid. He looked devastated, absolutely depressed about being with me. Well, that makes two of us.

And then, the world stopped spinning.

I heard the grand doors open behind me, the noise seeming louder and more significant than any of the other idle wedding noises I was purposefully trying to drown out. I heard my name called, barely whispered, but the sound reverberated inside my head like a familiar song I had long ago forgotten the words too, but were coming back to me crystal clear. I slowly turned around, seeing the looks of surprise, shock, and occasionally disgust on the crowd's faces. I was trying desperately to remember how to breathe, and I could hear my heart pounding too loudly in my chest, like it wanted to leap out of my body and rejoin the person who had once held it fully and completely. He spoke my name again, the sound wrapping around me like a caress, filled with the tenderness and love I remembered, that touched a place inside of me I had forgotten about. I could feel how wide my eyes were, and how white my skin felt. It had to be a cruel dream, but everyone saw him. He was definitely here.

After all this time he had come back.

After all this time he had come home.

"Eugene..." I whispered softly, his name falling off my lips naturally, as though I had been saying it my entire life.

His lips curled into a smile, and I could see the relief that burned in his hazel eyes. He limped forward as though each step pained him, but the air around him was so light and good it was blinding. His presence made my heart feel more whole then it had in months. As we stood, with our faces so close they were almost touching, I forgot the wedding that was happening around us, _my_ wedding. The only thing that existed in my world was his face, and I greedily tried to absorb all of his features.

The moment was something I hadn't dared hope for, and it was almost perfect, until I looked down and saw that I was dressed in white. Eugene might be here, close enough for me to touch, but as the crowd shifted restlessly it dawned on me that this didn't change anything.

I still had to get married today.

And the confused looks of the crowd melted away when I noticed Mason staring at me, with nothing short of envy on his fine features.


	13. Chapter 13

_**SHINING STAR**_

-MichelleTheVampGirl

Chapter 13: Mason's confession.

I pushed open the large ornate door, watching as everyone turned to face me with a range of expressions crossing their faces. There was anger, definitely. Like I didn't belong, and in all honesty I knew I didn't. But those people weren't the ones who mattered. There was only one face I wanted to see, and it was her reaction the truly mattered.

"Rapunzel..." I whispered her name, and saw her stop walking, her back to me, about halfway down the aisle. I saw her turn around slowly, her beautiful green eyes round with noticeable panic. I wanted to know what was going on in her head. I needed to know how she felt about me being there.

She looked to be in a daze, her eyes frantically sweeping over my body, as though to determine whether or not I was really there. I couldn't decide, with the blank look on her face as though her features had been frozen in a mask of shock, whether or not she was happy I was there, or just as disgusted as some of the wedding guests. I called her name again, my voice low and pleading. I tried to put all of my feelings of love for her into that one word, and watched her rosy lips part and the most beautiful sound came out.

She spoke my name.

My real name.

I had left her, telling her I was Flynn Rider, but yet she was still calling me Eugene, her voice echoing my longing. Despite everything that I must have put her through, she was still in love with me, just like I was still very much in love with her. I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips, pure joy radiating from my heart. I walked towards her, aware of how each step shook uneasily beneath me, my legs not fully recovered from the journey, but I did not care. I wanted to run down the aisle to her, but somehow, between us, the rest of the church disappeared. I could feel the bond that tethered me to Rapunzel, like a silvery thread that meant I was as much a part of her as she was of me. I should have realised from the beginning that I could never really leave her, not when we were connected on a level that defied rational reason.

We were now so close that I could lean forward and press my forehead to hers if I wanted to, but I didn't want to break eye contact with her, not after I had gone so long without seeing how beautiful she was, inside and out. As I captured her pale green eyes in mine, I understood in that moment, what it meant to love someone. To love someone is to put everything that they need and everything that they want ahead of your own desires. And Rapunzel had always wanted me. I had thought that what we had was fragile and breakable, but it wasn't, the truth was, I needed her. And because she truly loved me, she was always there, giving me what I needed, her vast and boundless love.

The hush over us ended when she turned away, biting her lips nervously. I blinked a few times trying to comprehend why she should be so concerned, and then I fully realised the situation I had walked in on. Looking down at the white silk dress Rapunzel was wearing, I honed in on the diamond ring on her finger. I came here to stop a wedding, but the gravity of the situation didn't truly occur to me.

How was I going to stop the wedding?

...

To have Eugene so close felt so right and normal, the emptiness I had been feeling inside was now filled by his presence. But it didn't matter. The crowd was shifting restlessly, waiting for the wedding to continue, but I was frozen, half way down the aisle. Do I continue walking down to Mason, or do I bolt out of that door with Eugene? Of course I knew what I wanted to do, but I couldn't abandon my family. And the way Mason was looking at me right now, like I had everything, made me wonder why exactly he was marrying me in the first place.

I couldn't think straight, my head darted between both ends of the aisle, each end held a different future for me, and each one came with enormous sacrifice. Eugene was silent, watching me carefully, trying to determine what I would decide. The silence was broken when a sharp, shrill voice penetrated the air.

"What is the meaning of this, girl?"

Mason's mother, the Queen of Rieva, stood up out of her seat, and angrily glared at me, her small nose upturned in disgust as she looked upon Eugene.

"Quit stalling with that commoner filth and marry my son!"

I could take her insults when they were directed at me, but no one, and I mean _no one_, gets to insult Eugene around me.

"He is _not_ filth." I walked towards her slowly, a dangerous glint in my eye. I was so fed up with being treated as everyone's puppet, never allowed to follow my own dreams. In Gothel's tower, I wasn't allowed to make my own choices, and Eugene helped me to grow into my own person. In this palace, my choices were once again taken away from me, and again, Eugene was there, stopping me from enduring a life I did not chose for myself.

"Eugene is kind, and brave, and loyal and compassionate, and he cares about _me_. All of these things you will _never _be."

The room grew silent as I stopped my tirade, standing directing in front of the Queen, my breathing laboured in anger. The queen took it all in with a shake of her frivolously styled golden curls and smirked up at me. My distaste for her grew even more.

"Dear child, your father and I signed a contract, now get up there and marry my son."

Her frosty words emitted a layer of despair and even some of the wedding guests seemed to grow uncomfortable and unwilling to show support for the Queen. There were murmurs of surprise circulating the church as the guests realised that what they saw, was an arranged wedding, one I did not want to be a part of. There goes the perfect illusion.

"No." The simple word was spoken with masculine authority, the sound echoing around the now quiet room. I looked immediately to my father, thinking he had finally stood up for me at last, but no. He was not the one who had spoken. With confusion I turned to Eugene, wondering when on earth he started sounding like a noble, but he wasn't the one who had spoken either.

Mason stepped forward from the alcove at the front of the aisle and walked deliberately towards his mother, I heard a soft gasp escape my lips, and clutched on to Eugene's arm in anticipation for what was about to be said. I'm sure most of the other guests were doing the same.

"No, I will not marry her."

The Queen of Rieva looked like she had been slapped. Her indignant expression was far from her usual queenly superiority. She laughed lightly under her breath as though this was all a big misunderstanding, and then turned to her son with fire burning in her hollow eyes.

"What do you mean you won't marry her? We have searched tirelessly to find you a princess bride, and this is how you repay us? Now stop disgracing yourself, embarrassing me and you father, and stop being such a disappointment!"

The cruel words that came out of the queens mouth made everybody gasp. She looked around wildly, as though finally noticing she had an audience. She tried to laugh again but no one bought it. I was horrified that a mother would say those sorts of things to their child, and Mason just sighed as though he had heard them all before.

"It's not a disgrace to see that these two people," he gestured to where I was holding onto Eugene's arm, his other arm wrapped securely around my waist. "That these two people love each other. And she doesn't care about his status, she chose him. Mother wake up, I'm not going to get in the way of these people, and the way they feel about each other."

The Queen of Rieva let out an outraged shriek, but I wasn't paying attention. I had caught Mason's eyes, and mouthed a sincere '_thank you'. _He nodded stiffly, and turned to his father, who was merely smiling in amusement at the scene that shocked and horrified the rest of us. Well, specifically, he was smiling at Mason, who was saying something under his breath to him. The Queen noticed this and stood up quickly, running over to her family and gripping her son's shoulders tightly.

"What's this? What is going on here?"

The King chuckled and beamed at his wife, whose hair had become dishevelled and her make-up smudged.

"Mason informs me that he never wanted to marry young Rapunzel at all, because he's been in love with a girl back in Gatsburg this entire time!"

The queen ran a hand through her hair and faced her son.

"Really? That's good. Is she a Countess? A Duchess? We could settle for someone upper class..." She mused as she dragged her son out of the church, throwing a spiteful look at me as she went. The Queen and Mason were just leaving through the large ornate doors, when the King of Rieva stood up and followed them, beaming.

"Actually, she is one of our handmaids!"

The Queen's roar of anger was drowned out when the King closed the church doors behind him, throwing a cherry wink at the confused crowd before leaving.

Pressing my face into Eugene's arm, I closed my eyes and wished that Mason would get to be with the girl he loved, and wondered if, despite his mother's obvious loathing of me, I would get to see his real wedding.

I opened my eyes and looked at Eugene's smiling face, and was overcome by feelings of joy. I wasn't getting married today! I could be with Eugene again! I stood up on my toes to kiss him lightly, but the feeling of his lips on mine sparked something inside of me, and I wrapped my fingers in his hair as the kiss deepened. I heard a loud cough, and pulled away, embarrassed, only to see my parents standing in front of us, their arms crossed sternly over their chests.


End file.
